gringa musings from a rooftop terrace in Oaxaca

Banana bonanza

Why is it that of the almost 1000 varieties of bananas grown in the world, grocery stores here in el norte mostly only sell the Cavendish? Sheesh, even the smallest mercados in Oaxaca often have at least four varieties and sometimes more (depending on the season). After all, there are eight types of bananas cultivated in Mexico. The states of Chiapas (35%), Tabasco (25%), and Veracruz (13%), are the major producers, followed by Michoacán (6.5%) and Jalisco (4.5%), with Guerrero (3%) and Oaxaca (3%) bringing up the rear.

Bananas outside of the mercado in San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Oaxaca – November 2016

Did you know that banana plants are not trees? They are an herb and their “trunks” are made of overlapping leaves. As for the origin of the word “banana,” it comes from the Arabic, banan, which means finger. Thus, it makes perfect sense that the cluster of bananas growing on “tree” is called a hand. (For more banana facts, check out All about bananas.)

Now we come to the “heart” of the matter — the astonishing flower of the banana. Given its resemblance in color and shape, it’s also known as a heart and is a show-stopper for anyone who has never before seen one. It is often used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking, especially in curries, and a friend from El Salvador told me in his home country, the flowers are baked in the oven and eaten. Apparently, according to this website, banana hearts are good for most everything that ails you. Alas, while Mexico exports la flor de plátano, Moisés Molina, representative of Mexico’s Regional Association of Independent Producers and Banana Traders, lamented in 2000 that it was a pity they were consumed in China but not Mexico.

4 Responses

Cavendish bananas are all genetically identical. Each banana you buy in the store is the clone of the one next to it. Every banana plant being grown for export is really part of the same plant, a collective organism larger than any other on earth, far bigger than the clonal groves of aspens.
This giant organism is now at risk of exactly the same sort of population crash that befell the Gros Michel, and a new strain of Fusarium, a close relative of the pathogen that causes Panama disease, has evolved. It can kill both Gros Michel and Cavendish bananas. This strain has already spread from Asia to East Africa and seems likely to make its way to Central America. This should be extremely worrisome. But what should be more worrisome is that the same is true of most of our crops, most of the plants that we most depend on, a list of species that is shockingly and increasingly short.
Globally, we favor the crops that best satisfy our ancient needs at the lowest cost, regardless of how far they might have to travel and regardless of the season. The more urban our civilization becomes, the more disconnected it becomes from the life on which we depend and thus the more extreme our demand for simple products regardless of the season. The crops that are expanding—in terms of the area over which we plant them—are not those that are the most flavorful or nutritious but rather those that are used to produce sugar (sugarcane, sugar beets, corn) and oil (oil palms, olives, canola). Even coffee is at risk again. Having learned nothing from Sri Lanka, we have once more planted varieties of coffee that are susceptible to coffee rust in large plantations, and the rust is back. That these crops are nearly all at risk today from pests, pathogens, and climate change is not a fluke. Given our preferences, it was nearly inevitable.
This is the take I got….you retore my curiosity. I enjoy variety. Thanks and let me know what you think?
David Taylor
I am going to share this with my foodie friends on Facebook. Thanks

At Las Mariposas Hotel on Pino Suarez there is a banana “plant” on one of the patios with a large hand of fruit and a beautiful flower as in your photograph. If you need another photo that one is closer GM.

Interesting ! re origins; did read that when Ferdinand .Magellan first saw banana trees in the Philippines, thought they were Fig species as same resembled fig trees in Andalusia. R. Nomad’s article interesting too; if we humans are not careful, may have to bid adios to humble banana 😦